The DarkHuntress part 1: Broken Wings
by Guardian of Azarath
Summary: Now Abandoned until further notice! Very AU Harry Potter/DarkHunter crossover. Full summary inside. Rated for language and mild violence. Please read and review. Rating and genre changed. Rating may go up in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**The Dark-Huntress: Part 1:**

**Broken Wings.**

**Summery: AU Harry Potter/Dark-Hunter crossover. A rewrite of Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts, starting in his first year. When The-Boy-Who-Lived starts his first year at Hogwarts, an ancient order, almost as old as the Wizarding World, yet for the most part, unknown to it, sends one of it's youngest members to Hogwarts with him, when an evil not seen in 10 years, threatens to return.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Harry Potter characters and places are copyright to JK Rowling. The Dark-Hunters and associated characters, places and creatures are copyright to Sherrilyn Kenyon.**

**AN: Well, here's the prologue for my first Harry Potter fanfic. Please, tell me what you people think. Good? Bad? Feedback is greatly appreciated, so please review :D**

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Prologue.**

_Hogwarts, 1942._

Hermione Jane Granger exited the classroom, feeling excited. She'd just taken her Transfiguration N.E.W.T exam, under the ever watchful eye of one of the nicest and supportive teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; Professor Albus Dumbledore, Head of Gryffindor House.

She was a little worried about her N.E.W.T.s, but Dumbledore had assured her she'd done fine, in all of her exams.

As she walked, she heard the voice of the Headmaster, Professor Dippet speak over the Intercom System.

"_All students are to report to their dormitories immediately."_

Slightly worried, she started down the corridors towards Gryffindor Tower.

As she rounded a corner, she bumped into Minerva McGonagall, her best friend in the school and fellow Gryffindor student.

"Hi Minerva." Hermione said as she smiled happily at her friend, but the smile faded from her face as she noticed the troubled and horrified look on Minerva's face.

"Minerva?" she asked.

"Hermione…" the girl croaked, her voice barely holding.

"Minerva, what's wrong, what happened?"

"Hermione…it's awful…one of the students…Myrtle…she's dead…" Minerva couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and drew her friend into a tight hug. Hermione, for her own part, returned the hug, feeling tears well up in her own eyes at the news of Myrtle's death. The two of them had been friends for several years now, although Myrtle had been younger, in her third or fourth year.

She, Minerva and Myrtle had been close friends for a long time, and the fact that someone or something had killed Myrtle made Hermione's blood boil with the thirst for vengeance.

She finally pulled back and looked her teary eyed friend in the face, the tears own falling down her cheeks.

"Does anyone know…how? When? _Who?_"

Minerva shook her head. "They don't know who did it, one of the teachers found her in the Second floor girls' bathroom…" she sniffed. Hermione regarded her friend closely before making up her mind.

"C'mon, I'll take you to the common room, then I'll go fetch you something to drink." She said, trying to calm her friend.

Minerva nodded then turned and headed towards Gryffindor Tower.

Twenty minutes later, Hermione had managed to calm Minerva enough, and got her a drink of warm pumpkin juice. She'd considered staying, but her inquisitive nature got the better of her, as it had so often in the past.

Walking through the upper halls of the castle, she heard voices talking hurriedly just round the corner of the corridor she was in, one sounded stressed and anxious, the other grim and determined.

As she got closer, the words came through more clearly.

"They'll have your wand for this Hagrid, you'll be expelled." came the voice of Tom Riddle, a sixth year she knew quite well, and, over the past few months, they'd struck up a relationship, of sorts, though many of her fellow Gryffindors, Minerva included, thought she was mad for associating with a Slytherin.

"Hagrid? Did he…?" she muttered to herself, her anger rising anew. Rubeus Hagrid, a fellow Gryffindor, seemed quite gentle to his fellow students, at least to Hermione. The half-human giant seemed rather passive most of the time, his only real major flaw, in her eyes, was his tendency to keep unusual, and sometimes dangerous pets.

The rules regarding pets stated that students were only allowed to have either a cat, toad/frog or owl. Certainly not anything that could pose a threat to students. Hagrid's unusual habits had got him into trouble a number of times during his three years at Hogwarts.

"It wasn't him I tell ya, Aragon never hurt anybody!" Hagrid's voice rang out in defense. Hermione groaned. If one of Hagrid's pets _was_ responsible, then he would certainly be expelled.

"Monsters don't make good pets Hagrid. The girl's parents will be here in the morning to take her body home; the least I can do for them is see that the thing that killed their daughter is destroyed."

"I'm tellin' ya, it wasn't him!" Hagrid replied, he sounded really panicked now.

"Move aside." She heard Tom say in a dangerous tone. Then she heard a brief scuffle, Tom casting a spell and Hagrid cry out his pet's name. She was about to rush around the corner and help Tom, when she saw something small scuttle along the floor and up the wall, then disappear into a vent.

A spider, easily 1 foot across with its legs stretched out. It didn't look like it could harm a student, but then, for all she knew, it was poisonous.

"What the hell was he thinking?" she muttered. She then decided discretion was the better part of valor, and quickly retreated to Gryffindor Tower.

-----

"Where the hell have you been?!" Minerva snapped as Hermione came into the common room.

"I had to go…er…check on something…" Hermione lied.

"You weren't with _him_ again, weren't you Hermione? He's no good!" Minerva snapped.

"Tom's a decent guy Minnie, give him a break."

"He's Slytherin! Slytherins should never be trusted!" Minerva protested.

"Never mind that now. I think I know who…killed Myrtle."

"_**WHO?"**_ Minerva spat.

"One of Hagrid's pets." Hermione said quietly. Fortunately, they were the only two left in the common room, given how late it was.

Minerva scowled.

"That damn idiot!" she snarled, "He never knew when to obey the rules about pets! How'd you find out anyway?"

Hermione hesitated. "I overheard him and Tom arguing, about his latest pet, Hagrid said his pet wasn't responsible, there was a struggle, his pet, it looked like a giant spider, about one foot across, escaped into a vent and-"

"_**ESCAPED?!"**_ Minerva practically screamed.

Hermione quickly hushed her,

"Keep your voice down Minnie, do you want to wake up the entire school?"

"I'll kill him. I'll kill him." Minerva started to chant.

"Hold on! I don't think Hagrid, or his pet, had anything to do with it." Hermione said. Minerva glared at her.

"What the hell do you mean? You admitted you overheard him and Tom fighting, you _saw_ his 'pet', and you said it's a GIANT SPIDER, how's that not dangerous? He probably got it from the Forbidden Forest, Dippet's gonna kill him."

"Well, Hagrid wouldn't let something like that loose intentionally, he wouldn't have lasted this long if he would."

"Well, he obviously slipped up this time, didn't he?" Minerva spat.

Hermione sighed, her friend was right.

"Look, Minnie, it's late, how about we talk about this tomorrow? I'm exhausted, we both are." Hermione then looked at her watch, it was about 10pm.

Minerva sighed too. "I guess you're right. We'll talk about this in the morning."

With that, she made her way up to the girls' dorm rooms, Hermione sighed, and took a seat on one of the couches, took out a book, and started reading, but she couldn't concentrate, finally, she gave up and climbed the stairs.

The seventh year dorm she shared with Minerva and several other witches was quiet, too quiet. Hermione, suddenly overcome with exhaustion and grief for the loss of her friend, she quickly managed to change into her nightgown, before crawling into bed, where she sank into a restless, dreamless sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next day, the whole school was in a somber mood, that is, all except for Slytherin. A fact that annoyed the Gryffindors to no end, Hermione and her friends especially.

Earlier that morning, at breakfast in the Great Hall, Professor Dippet had announces that classes for the day would be canceled, being a Friday, part of Hermione wasn't best pleased with that, since today was two of her favorite classes: Potions and Charms, but the rational side of her didn't care about classes, or studying, or grades right at that minute.

So now, she sat in the library, trying to read. But she was struggling to concentrate. A group of Ministry officials, including the Minister for Magic, had arrived just after breakfast. They, along with Professors Dippet and Dumbledore, accompanied a terrified looking Hagrid out of the room, presumably to Dippet's office.

What ever the outcome, Hermione doubted that it would be pleasant for the half-giant. Hermione actually felt sorry for him. But he had to learn, and Tom had been right; Monsters really didn't make good pets. Sure, that spider, or whatever it was might have seemed harmless, but since it most likely came from the Forbidden Forest, meant that it wasn't fully grown whenever he'd found it. No-one was entirely sure what lurked in the forest. But Hermione knew that it was stupid to even venture in there, so she bothered lurking.

As she turned a page, she sighed. She had been staring at the same page for over an hour. She looked at her watch, it was almost ten. If she didn't get out of here soon, she'd be kicked out by the librarian. Leaving the book behind, she grabbed her schoolbag and headed out of the library.

It was oddly quiet in the castle, all the torches were lit, but a chill ran over Hermione like when a Dementor came near her. It just seemed all the happiness was sucked out of her in that moment. She walked slowly down the hall, feeling her heart race. It almost felt like someone was stepping on her grave.

As she neared the stairway to Gryffindor Tower, she was suddenly grabbed from behind and shoved into an empty classroom. She felt on her behind, her brown hair disheveled. She looked up at her attacker with her brown eyes and sighed in relief,

"Tom, you scared me. Jeez, you really know how to scare a girl, don't you?"

But as she looked up at her boyfriend, his sharp and intelligent green eyes didn't show affection and love that they had shown to her many times in the past. Now, they showed malice and hatred. Something evil. She swore she could see red in those green eyes that she loved so much.

"Tom? Why are you looking at me like that?" Tom had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at her, with his black hair hanging just above his shoulders. He smirked slightly as said,

"Looking at you in what way, Hermione, dear?" The smirk he was giving her started to freak her out. Something was wrong here, really wrong.

Standing up, Hermione brushed off the dirt on her skirt before saying, "Like you want to kill me. Tom, this isn't like you." Tom's eyes glinted maliciously before he chuckled evilly, "Maybe this is the real me, maybe it's not."

Oh yeah, something was wrong with her boyfriend. She let her hand go inside her robe to get her wand, but Tom raised his hand, causing her wand to fly out of her robe pocket into his hand. He tsked,

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione, where are you ever going to learn? You should never trust Slytherins. Isn't that what Minnie told you only yesterday?" Hermione's blood went cold at those words, how did he know that?

Tom sighed, "You should have listened to her, Mione, but you were too arrogant and you trusted me to realize that." Hermione felt her heart hammering, she was scared beyond scared. She backed up into the wall behind her, thinking fast on how she could escape.

Twirling her wand in his hand, Tom casually went up to her, pressing his body slightly against hers. He leaned down to her ear and said to her, "You know, I did love you, Hermione. But all good things have to come to a end eventually." He kissed her cheek slightly before grasping her throat in his left hand with her wand still in his right.

If only she could get her wand, then she could take him down easily.

Thinking fast, she brought her left knee up between his legs.

Tom let go of her and doubled over, stumbling backwards, dropping her wand in the process.

Moving quickly, she ducked out of the room and made for the portrait of the Fat Lady, but a red bolt of light struck the wall just next to her head, and she whirled round, her eyes wide with fear, but she was also furious at being betrayed too.

"That really hurt, Hermione." Tom growled, as he limped into the corridor, clutching his own wand.

"It was _you_, not Hagrid. You killed Myrtle." She spat, her eyes narrowing. "She was my friend."

"Figures." Tom snorted, "Trust the Mudbloods to stick together."

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Raising her wand, she snarled, "Legilimens."

Instantly, her mind was filled with images from Tom's mind, she saw everything through his eyes;

Tom realizing that he was the true heir of Salazar Slytherin. Tom, as a young boy, being left in an orphanage. Tom in his sixth year, tracking down and killing his father and step family. Tom, in his 5 year, discovering some sort of passageway, or Shute, hidden under a sink in the second floor girls bathroom.

"The room Myrtle was killed in." Hermione whispered.

Then something else flashed through her mind, though she felt Tom trying to resist her, but she pushed further, she could sense he was hiding something.

Pushing a little harder, she saw a large wall, with two large coiled snakes carved into it, their eyes glinting like emeralds, she heard Tom speak a language she didn't recognize at first, but then realized it was Parseltongue, then she watched as the wall slid open like two large doors.

Then she saw, inside a large cave, a 20 foot statue that resembled the head of Salazar Slytherin.

Then, with a white flash, the link was broken and she was forced out of his mind. For a moment, neither of them moved as they glared at one-another.

"You'll pay for this Tom Marvolo Riddle. I swear it."

"Oh really? How exactly do you plan to pull that off?" he growled, red was definitely showing in his eyes now.

"Simple. You don't know the password to Gryffindor Tower, and once I make it through the portrait hole, you won't be able to touch me. And by tomorrow morning, everyone will know the truth. You'll be expelled, and Hagrid will be reinstated."

"Good plan, Hermione, but you're forgetting one thing." Tom shot back.

"What?" she snarled.

"_Imperio!"_ Tom snapped. Hermione tried to jump out of the way, but she instantly felt her body seize up, she lost all motor-function, her arms and legs became heavy and the world around her became hazy and clouded, and everything became garbled.

Tom smiled coldly in triumph as the Imperious took hold of her.

"Snap your wand." he ordered.

Her eyes glazed over, hypnotized, Hermione slowly lifted her wand, holding it at both ends, bringing up her right knee, she brought her wand down on her thigh with enough force to snap it clean in half.

"Drop it." he ordered. She did so.

"This way." he growled.

He turned and led her through the castle, it took him sometime to navigate the corridors, since the corridors were now being patrolled by Peeves the Poltergeist and the caretaker.

By the time they got though the castle and to a side-door, it was nearly midnight. As they stepped into the main grounds, he marched her in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, past the lake, where the giant squid swam lazily in the water, completely oblivious to what was happening.

The moon was high, it was a cold night, Tom was starting to get cold within a few minutes of leaving the castle, but he didn't care.

Standing in the middle of a small clearing just inside the Forrest, he turned to face Hermione.

Lifting his wand, he silently cast _'Locomotor Mortis'_ on her legs. Then he lifted the Imperious.

Hermione blinked as her faculties came back to her. The first thing she noticed was that is was dark. And cold. She looked round in a confused daze.

"_What the hell are we doing out here?"_ she asked herself, then it hit her. _"Wait a minute! He used the Imperious curse on me!"_

Hermione blinked before glaring at him. "How dare you! You bastard!" she snarled. She swung her arm back to punch him, only to find she couldn't move her legs, and before she could stop herself, she overbalanced, and landed hard on her back.

"Sorry Hermione. But I couldn't let you go tell everybody what you've learned, I've got big plans for the future of Hogwarts and our world in general. The time will come when the 'impurities' in our society are cleansed." Tom replied, looking pointedly at her when he said 'impurities'.

"Minerva will know you've done something, she'll tell Dumbledore and Dippet. You'll be expelled, thrown in Azkaban, you'll probably get the Dementor's Kiss for this!"

Tom chuckled. "Dumbledore's just our Transfiguration Teacher, Dippet's Slytherin, he's on my side."

Waving his wand, he summoned a dagger in his free hand, and smiled with false charm down at Hermione, who looked back up at him with wide, terrified eyes.

"Sorry, Hermione, nothing personal, you just know way too much, you also don't know when to keep your nose out of things that don't concern you, or you understand."

Then, he knelt next to her, leaned over and whispered.

"Goodbye, Hermione Jane Granger." He then straightened himself up and plunged the dagger down into her chest.

Hermione gasped in pain, then let out a choked scream, the dagger had pieced her heart, her whole body screamed with pain, she barely noticed Tom pull the dagger out and walk away. Hermione closed her eyes and sucked in her breath, trying to hang on, but with the Locomotor Mortis still binding her legs, she couldn't move.

"Please….someone….Minerva…..Dumbledore….help….me….." she cried weakly, her voice just above a whisper. As she felt her life start to slip away, she mentally cursed Tom for what he'd done, she vowed to him that she would one day get vengeance. Her mind, her soul screamed for it, she just prayed someone, or something, would hear her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Mount Olympus, Greece, that same moment._

Artemis sighed wearily as she sat on her golden throne, a faint breeze blew through her Temple, on that breeze, she distinctly heard a soul crying out for vengeance, for justice.

"Another recruit. Do you want to handle this one Acheron? Or should I?"

Acheron Parthenopaeus was standing off to the side, leaning against a stone column, wearing black leather jeans, and a black T-Shirt, along with rather fashionable black boots.

"No, I'll take this one." He said, looking out of a window at the sky, as he too heard the cry, it was so full of pain, grief, and anger, this person had been betrayed, and wounded not only physically, but emotionally too.

He closed his eyes, trying to get a fix on the source of the cry.

"_England, Scottish Highlands."_ he thought. When he finally pinpointed the location, his eyes snapped open.

"Hogwarts…" he whispered. He visited the school only once, nearly 100 years previous, after saving a 5th year student from Daimons in the nearby local village of Hogsmeade, Acheron had tried to wipe the boy's memory of the event, and send him on his way, but had found that this boy, like a few other people on Earth, was immune to that particular ability Acheron possessed.

The boy had sworn to keep what he'd seen secret, and Acheron had decided the boy could be trusted with the truth, at least, the truth of what Acheron was.

Closing his swirling silver eyes, he willed himself into the Forbidden Forest next to the school. He could sense the dark magic in this place, the lurking creatures. He opened his eyes to get his bearings. It was midnight, which was a good thing. If it had been daylight here, he would have been roasted almost instantly.

The one who had called was close by, less than 100 meters North, he turned in that direction and set off walking at a brisk pace.

----

Professor Albus Dumbledore was sat in his office, working late. The confrontation with Hagrid had indeed not been pleasant. Even though the boy had protested his innocence, his prior record of breaking the rules in regards to pets weighed against him, and the evidence, though Dumbledore believed circumstantial, had been enough to convince the Minister for Magic of his guilt, and she had ordered his wand destroyed, and Hagrid expelled.

Because of his young age, Azkaban was out of the question, so Dumbledore had suggested that Hagrid be provided small accommodations. The Minister had reluctantly agreed, and Hagrid had been put under Dumbledore's watchful eye.

Now though, he sat up as his magical aura alerted him to the presence of something new entering the Forbidden Forest, something extremely powerful, far more powerful than any Wizard or Witch to attend the school since the days of it's founders.

Slowly, Dumbledore rose to his feet and turned to look out the window in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, in the direction of the disturbance.

"So…you've come back."

And with that he quickly hurried out the door of his office, and down the halls.

----

As soon as Acheron reached the clearing, his eyes narrowed. He could clearly see the young woman, wearing robes that bore the mark of Godric Gryffindor, she looked to be about 17 or 18, still a student. He ground his teeth in anger as he saw the wound in her chest, her eyes were closed.

As he drew near her, he paused as he faintly heard her breathing, she was still alive, but only just. The wound on in her chest was fresh, very fresh.

Slowly, he knelt down next to her, her eyes fluttered open ever so slightly, and he caught a brief glimpse of her chestnut brown eyes.

---

Hermione was in agony, her whole body ached, her life had almost completely slipped away from her, but suddenly, she faintly sensed the presence of something. Struggling, she barely managed to open her eyes, though her vision was very blurred, she clearly saw someone leaning over her. At first, she thought it was Tom come back to finish her off, but then she saw the eyes.

They were a bright shimmering silver, unlike any she'd seen before, but before she could grasp anything about this stranger, her eyes fell closed, and her lungs weakly deflated as she breathed her last, and she knew no more.

Acheron felt a surge of rage go through him as he watched the girl take her last breath, thinking fast, he pressed his hand to her wound again, sealing it, then he made a quick gesture with his other hand to stop her soul escaping. Then he sensed someone approaching, he looked up.

Dumbledore was running towards them, his face white with dread. The man looked exhausted, he took one look at the leader of the Dark-Hunters kneeling over…

"Miss Granger." he said in an agonized voice. His eyes then moved to Acheron as the Dark-Hunter worked his right arm under Hermione's shoulder blades and head, while putting his left forearm, which bore a dragon tattoo, under the crook of her knees.

"What happened?" Dumbledore demanded.

"I don't know, I heard her cry for help, and I came as soon as I could."

"Is she…?" the old Wizard asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes…she's dead."

"I assume you'll be taking her then." Albus said, it wasn't a question. Acheron nodded.

"She asked for vengeance, I'll take her with me, heal her injuries and do what I can." It was then that Acheron noticed her legs weren't bending when he lifted them slightly.

"Looks like whoever did this used a binding spell on her legs." Before he'd even finished saying it, Dumbledore waved his wand and canceled the spell.

"This is the second one in as many days." Albus said sadly.

"What?" Acheron asked. Dumbledore's sad eyes locked with his silver ones.

"A third year girl was killed yesterday evening."

Acheron gritted his teeth. That meant the other girl had been about 13. Far too young.

"I better take her Albus." Acheron said, finally standing.

Dumbledore nodded. "Take care of her, she was a fine young woman, with a bright future ahead of her."

"I will, who knows Albus, you may see her again one day." And with that, Acheron Parthenopaeus vanished, taking the body of Hermione Jane Granger with him to Katoteros.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Kings Cross Station, 49 years later_.

Hermione Jane Granger stepped onto the platform and smiled at the families making hurried dashes to the wall between Platforms 9 and 10, before phasing right through it. She cautiously pushed her way through the people, before she got close to the wall, before ducking down her head and running through. When she was on the other side, she looked at the families already next to the Hogwarts Express, the parents saying goodbye to their children as they boarded.

She smiled. It felt good to be back here, even though it had been 49 years, she still didn't understand why Acheron had kept her away for so long, she planned to talk to him later about that. Right now though, as she approached one of the carriages, she silently thanked him for what he'd given her, something that, according to all the laws of magic and nature, wasn't possible. Her life. Tom had taken it, and she was going to make him pay, one day. Acheron had given it back, and for that, she owed him big time.

Acheron had also given her many other things, but the thing she was most thankful for right now, was the ability to physically change her age, so, that when people looked at her now, they wouldn't seen the 17 year old Seventh Year student she had once been, but an 11 year old First Year student.

She mentally checked the glamour charm in place over her eyes, before she took a breath, and pushed her trolly, which held her trunk, onto the train.

oOoOoOoOoOo


	2. Meetings

**The Dark-Huntress part 1:**

**Broken Wings.**

**Summery: AU Harry Potter/Dark-Hunter crossover. A rewrite of Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts, starting in his first year. When The-Boy-Who-Lived starts his first year at Hogwarts, an ancient order, almost as old as the Wizarding World, yet for the most part, unknown to it, sends one of it's youngest members to Hogwarts with him, when an evil not seen in 10 years, threatens to return.**

**Pairings: H/Hr, pairings between other characters will develop in later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Harry Potter characters and places are copyright to JK Rowling. The Dark-Hunters and associated characters, places and creatures are copyright to Sherrilyn Kenyon.**

**A/N: Thank you to MysticGoth and Snowdove30 for their kind reviews. I hope more of you guys take an interest in this story.**

**Now, on with the first chapter. :D**

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Chapter 1: Meetings.**

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Hogwarts Express._

After unloading her trunk from the trolley in the baggage compartment of the carriage she'd just entered, Hermione started looking around. There were First Years everywhere, she saw a couple of Prefects trying to organize the mess of students.

"Ok." she said to herself, remembering her assignment. "He's got green eyes, messy black hair, and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Yeah, shouldn't be too hard to spot."

As she started walking down the carriage, looking for her charge, the train's whistle blew, and the carriage gave a slight jolt as it started to move. She finally found a compartment that appeared to be open. Sitting in it was a small boy, roughly about her own age.

His hair was black, not very well kept. The clothes he wore looked three sizes too big for him, and his glasses where sitting at an odd angle on his nose, they looked like they'd been broken and repaired, not to well either, several times. He looked really malnourished. As she entered, she cleared her throat.

"Er, hi, this seat free?" she asked. The boy looked up, it was then she saw the mark on his forehead.

"_You've got to be kidding me."_ she thought, _"This is the Boy-Who-Lived? Looks more like the Boy-Who-Was-Never-Fed."_

Harry James Potter looked at the strange bushy-haired girl that had just entered his compartment. She seemed quite unusual.

"Erm, yeah, sure, have a seat." he said.

As Hermione sat down opposite him she finally got a good look at him, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. Even though he looked small and weak, there was still something about him that caught her eye, the sadness and loneliness she saw in his eyes reminded her of the sadness she felt after Tom's betrayal. It had taken her six months to complete her training with Acheron, then he'd plucked her down at King's Cross, with her first assignment. Only when she was down on the ground did she realize nearly 50 years had passed. She wasn't completely familiar with the Boy-Who-Lived legend, only it had something to do with Tom, and that was all she needed to know.

"I'm Hermione Granger." she said, offering her hand.

"Harry Potter." Harry replied, shaking her offered hand.

"_Definitely something cute about him too."_ Hermione thought, then instantly admonished herself. _"Remember the code, Granger."_ she thought.

At that point, the door to the compartment opened again, and a young boy with short ruby red hair, that kind of reminded Hermione of Artemis, walked in.

"Hey, either of you two seen a toad around here? Some kind called Neville lost it."

"Oh, you mean that one?" Hermione asked, pointing towards the small amphibian as it hoped into view.

"Uh, yeah, thanks." the kid said, before bending down and catching it, cringing as he held it, then disappeared.

Hermione looked back at Harry, who just shrugged with a helpless smile.

A few seconds later, the kid was back, minus the toad, with a thankful look on his face.

"By the way, I'm Ron, Ron Weasley." he said, offering his hand. Hermione shook it first.

"Hermione Granger."

"Harry Potter." Harry said, also shaking Ron's hand. Ron stared blankly at him, before his eyes went wide.

"Bloody hell! Really?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes, but the boys didn't notice.

Harry sighed quietly and nodded. "Yes." he said dryly.

"Wow!" Ron said enthusiastically.

"What's so important about him being the Boy-Who-Lived anyway?" Hermione asked. Harry grinned slightly, truthfully, he didn't understand it either. Hagrid had refused to tell him anything.

"He defeated You-Know-Who!" Ron blurted out.

"Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"What? What kind of name is 'Voldemort'? Can't think why someone would give their kid a name like that." Hermione interjected.

Harry laughed slightly.

Ron cringed. "UGH! Don't say the name! It's bad luck!"

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Don't you know who he was?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head, "I only got accepted into Hogwarts this summer, my parents aren't magical." Then she paused, she didn't even know if they were still alive, given how Ash had decided to drop her down in the middle of King's Cross 49 years after he took her from Hogwarts, when from her perspective, only six months had passed.

"I don't know either, all I know is he killed my parents." Harry replied.

"Uh, yeah, right." Ron said awkwardly, scratching his head, finally taking a seat next to Harry.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Artemis' Temple, Mount Olympus._

"**YOU DID **_**WHAT?!**_**"** Artemis yelled, as she stood in the middle of her throne room glaring at Acheron, or 'Ash', as he preferred to be called.

Ash just looked at her calmly, with his arms folded over his chest. "Well, if you didn't hear me the first time, I'll say it again. Now, read my lips Artie, it's very simple. I. Sent. Her. To. Hogwarts."

"_**WHY?" **_Artemis screamed like a spoiled little child, with stomping feet and all. Ash just rolled his eyes and sighed.

"To protect him Artie." Ash replied.

"Who?" Artemis asked indignantly.

"Harry Potter."

"Why?"

Ash sighed again. Why did Artemis always want things spelled out for her? He rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance, counting backwards from ten, to calm his nerves, which always seemed frayed round Artemis.

"Because he's going to need help. He's going to have enemies both inside Hogwarts and out of it gunning for him." he replied.

"Like who?"

Ash took a deep breath, he knew what was coming. "He's going to come back Artie."

"What?" Artemis asked, her harsh angry tone gone, replaced by one of disbelief, and a little apprehension.

"You don't mean-"

"Yeah, Artie, I do."

"But I thought-"

"So did I." Ask sighed.

"When?" Artemis asked. Ash shrugged. "All depends on Harry. Could be later this year, could be next year, could be 5 years from now, I don't know."

"_You_ don't know?!" Artemis asked, inwardly grinning at the fact there was finally something Ash didn't know that wasn't related to his own future, or the future of someone close to him.

"Yes, I don't know. There are many variables here, a lot can happen at that school that could either accelerate his return or delay it, but not permanently stop it from happening. He will come back, I just don't know when." Ash said, looking at her.

"But what about Hermione?" Artemis asked.

"What about her?"

"What if someone finds out what she is? What if she tells Harry?"

"Hermione isn't stupid Artie, she knows how to keep a secret. And, if her secret _does_ get out into the student population, well, if there's anything Wizards and Witches know above all else, it's how to keep secrets." Ash replied.

"I don't like it." Artemis said.

"You never do." Ash said dryly.

"How was she able to board the train then without her soul? You _did_ take her soul, right?" Artemis asked.

"No." Ash said offhandedly.

"_**No?!"**_ Artemis yelled.

"No. I let her keep her soul, though she doesn't know that. I let her keep her soul so she'd be able to walk in daylight without being affected by it."

"But what about her mark?" Artemis asked.

"What about it?" Ash asked. Artemis glared at him.

"Are you playing dumb? Or are you actually being stupid today?" as soon as she'd said those words, she regretted it. Ash turned to her, his eyes turning from their usual bright silver, to deep red.

"Never call me stupid Artemis. Truthfully, the only really stupid thing I ever did was fall for you."

Now it was Artemis' turn to snarl, her own eyes blazed as she stood to face him.

"What's _THAT_ supposed to mean?!" she raged.

Ash closed his eyes, and started counting back from 10. Again.

"Don't worry about the mark. IF anyone sees it, she'll just tell them it's a tattoo marking her heritage."

"Last time I checked, she wasn't part of a Native American tribe." Artemis scoffed. "Besides, what Native American tribe these days uses a Double Bow and Arrow brand?"

Ash said nothing. Artemis' eyebrows rose slightly.

"You _did_ give her the Bow and Arrow mark, didn't you?"

Again, Ash said nothing.

"Acheron, you _didn't…_" Artemis trailed off, her eyes wide.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Hogwarts Express._

Hermione had pulled off her robe to check something, not particularly caring that she was letting Harry and Ron see the black jogging trousers and white T-Shirt she wore which bore the legend:

"I Hate Artemis!" and "Death To The Heifer Goddess!"

Harry and Ron had both chuckled when they'd seen the slogans, Ron, of course, had to pose the question.

"Who's Artemis?"

"Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon." Hermione said casually while checking something else.

"Where'd you get it?" Ron asked.

"It was a present from my sister." Hermione said, finally putting the robe back on then turned to face them, not realizing the right sleeve of her T-Shirt had ridden up, while she had her robe off, exposing a tattoo on her right shoulder.

"Nice tattoo, I've never seen one like that before." Harry said, leaning over to get a closer look.

"What? Oh!" Hermione said, looking down at the mark on her shoulder. It was a silver sun, being pieced, by three lightning bolts. "Oops…" she said, before casting a quick disillusionment charm on it to hide it.

"What's it represent?" Harry asked.

"What's a Tattoo?" Ron asked.

"My father's an artist, it was an early birthday present." Hermione said. _"Got to remember to keep that hidden."_ she reminded herself.

As she pulled her robe back on, Harry asked. "Aren't those clothes against school rules?"

Hermione looked sheepish. "Well, I figured that, if no-one saw them, then, well, no-one would bother me about them."

Just as she said that, the compartment door open, and three boys walked in. Two slightly short ones, who to Harry, reminded him disturbingly of his cousin, Dudley Dursley. The third was a tall boy with short, almost white blonde hair. Hermione saw the look of recognition on Harry's face. She realized they must have met. She then noticed the blue eyes, and how, even at such a young age, how physically perfect he seemed, almost _too_ perfect, she could also sense something about him, he wasn't entirely human.

"_Could he be…no, it's impossible, he couldn't survive in the sun."_ she thought, then she noticed the ring, on his left hand. At first, it looked just like an ordinary ring, then she noticed the minute designs carved into it, and the single jewel. She recognized the designs.

They were Atlantean.

"Well, well, well, I wondered where you'd be Potter, associating with riffraff and a muggle-born, thought as much."

"Hello, Draco." Harry said dryly.

When the boy talked, Hermione caught a glimpse of his canines, they were slightly pointed.

"_He's Apollite?! But how can he…that ring…it must protect him…"_ she thought.

"What do you mean by riffraff!" Ron snarled, standing and glaring at Draco. "Who the bloody hell are you anyway?" Draco turn to Ron and snorted.

"I am Draco Malfoy, son of Lucious and Narcissa Malfoy." he said with pride, and a little arrogance. "And you are?"

Ron tried to puff himself up, "I am Ron Weasley. Son of Arthur and Molly Weasley."

"Ah, yes, now I recognize you. Yours is one of the poorest Wizarding families in the whole of England!" Draco scoffed, his second and third shadow both snickered. Ron was instantly on his feet, as were Harry and Hermione, all three had their wands drawn.

"What was that?" Ron snarled, his cheeks and ears turning the color of his hair. Draco smirked, then his gaze fell on Hermione and if faded. He could instantly sense something about her, something that wasn't quite human, he could also sense the glamour charm she had over her eyes, similar to the charm he had over his own. He could also slightly sense the disillusionment charm on her right shoulder.

"_Is she a…no…it's not possible…there aren't any as young as her…she can't be a…"_ Draco tried to regain control of himself, if she really was what he suspected, then his father would need to know.

"And who might you be?" he asked, trying not to let his slight fear show. Hermione glared at him.

"I am Hermione Jane Granger." she replied, "And I don't much care for your attitude or your insults towards my friends." Draco just snorted at her.

"Well, Crabb, Goyle and I have got other things to do, so we'll be going now, see you at school." Draco said, before turning and walking out, casting a very brief glance back at Hermione before he was out the door. The other two on his heals didn't look back.

Once they were gone, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down. "I don't like him." Ron spoke up.

"Me neither." Harry said. Hermione said nothing.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A few hours later, the Express pulled into the station at Hogsmeade, and the students disembarked. As the Prefects arranged the students into groups based on year, Harry, Ron and Hermione carried their trunks off the train, it was then that Hermione noticed the beautiful snowy owl in the cage on top of Harry's trunk, on top of Ron's was a smaller cage, that looked like it held a rat, and not a very healthy looking one.

"That's a beautiful owl Harry." Hermione said, as she noted the brown spots on the bird that identified it as a female.

"Thanks, her name's Hedwig." Harry said, walking beside Hermione as they approached several large carriages that appeared to have nothing to pull them.

"_Thanks. Though I don't much care for the name, but I suppose I'll have to live with it."_ said a distinctly _human_ voice inside Hermione's head. Hermione actually chocked on her breath then stared at Hedwig, who was now looking back at her through the bars of the cage.

"_**WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"**_ Hermione mentally shrieked. Hedwig puffed out her feathers.

"_What? Don't tell me you've never seen a Were-Owl before, Dark-Hunter."_

"Erm, Hermione, why are you staring at Hedwig?" Harry asked as they approached the carriage and unloaded the trunks from the trolleys.

"Uhm…" Hermione said, finally snapping out of her stupor. _"Ash!"_ she mentally called out.

"_Yes Hermione?"_ came the smooth reply.

"_Why didn't you tell me there was a Were-Hunter with Harry?"_

"_Ah, I see you met Hedwig."_

"_You KNOW her?!"_ Hermione blurted.

"_Met her once, when I told Savitar about your assignment, I asked him if he could send anyone to the school."_

"_Why?"_

"_Just in case you need backup in the event myself or Simi are unavailable."_

Hermione mentally sighed. _"So, how many other Were-Hunters are there at the school?"_

"_One, a Phoenix by the name of Fawkes."_ Ash replied.

"_I see…"_ Hermione replied, she briefly considered telling him about Draco, but figured he already knew.

As she got into the carriage, she finally noticed creatures in front of the carriages. She knew what they were, and why no-one else had reacted to them hey seemed frightening enough, if the other students _had_ seen them, they would have probably freaked.

She knew what they were of course, and she could see them clearly, afterall, she had died once. The Thestrals snorted noisily, but Hermione was the only person in her carriage to see them, then they started to move.

"Quite odd, isn't it?" Ron asked.

"Huh?" Harry asked.

"These carriages, they're horseless." Ron replied. Hermione mentally snorted. _"Not as horseless as you'd think Ron."_

-----

As the carriages reached the castle, Hermione felt a sense of longing come over her, gods, she'd missed this place. She wondered if she'd end up in Gryffindor again. She hoped she would. Then a thought occurred to her, wouldn't the Sorting Hat remember her? Would Professor Dumbledore, if he was still there?

As the main doors opened, and the students walked in, Hermione saw a group of people waiting for them. Three she recognized instantly. When her eyes settled on the tall woman with glasses, Hermione's heart nearly stopped.

"Minerva…" she whispered.

"Good evening and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress." She said with a smile.

----

Minerva had to do a double take when the new students cautiously entered the main entrance. Especially when she saw the brown-eyed bushy haired girl standing at the front with a redheaded boy who was most likely the youngest Weasley son, and a boy she knew all too well, Harry Potter.

"_Hermione? Is that really you?"_ she asked herself, then she remembered that she had some more introductions to make.

"To my left, is Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, and Rubeus Hagrid, our Grounds Keeper and Care of Magical Creatures Teacher, to my right, Argus Filtch, the school Caretaker, it's his job to patrol the halls at night to make sure none of you are out of bed, and during the day, to make sure you are all where you should be, and to his right, Professor Severus Snape, our Potions Professor." She finished, indicating the rather lanky looking, pale faced, and rather unpleasant looking man next to Argus, then she took another breath and continued.

"The sorting ceremony will take place shortly in the Great Hall through those doors behind me." Minerva indicated with her thumb, at the large ornate doors that were open to reveal a large room with several tables lined up.

As soon as Hermione's eyes settled on Snape, she instantly knew he was Slytherin, everything about him screamed it. She smiled though when her eyes moved to Hagrid, and then to Dumbledore.

About 15 minutes later, everyone was in the Great Hall, and all the new students were sat on chairs, facing the rest of the students and teachers with looks of fear on their faces. Argus brought out a chair and an old hat Hermione recognized.

Then the sorting began.

It didn't take long to get through the students, as Ron was placed into Gryffindor, Hermione saw him walk to the table of clapping students, Hermione noticed a few students with identical red hair, and similar facial features.

"_Must be his brothers."_ She thought.

Then it was Harry's turn. Hermione watched as he conversed with the hat briefly, before it called out "Gryffindor!", and Harry went to sit at the Gryffindor Table.

Next was Draco. Hermione wasn't surprised in the least when it called out "Slytherin!" after barely touching his head. Crabbe and Goyle followed next, then it was her turn.

"Ah, you seem familiar…have we crossed paths before?" the hat said quietly as it was placed on her head. She could feel the hat's magic trying to probe her mind, "Yes…Granger, I remember you. Strange that you should return."

Hermione was just thankful it was only speaking to her, and not out loud.

"_It's complicated. I don't want to go into it."_ she thought.

"Very well then, I know just where to put you, back where you belong." it said to her, then it called out,

"Gryffindor!"

As the Gryffindor students cheered and clapped, Hermione got down from the chair and walked towards them, passing the staff table as she did so. Her eyes locked briefly with Minerva and Albus, and she wondered if Minerva had figured it out yet, and if Dumbledore had too.

"_We will talk later, Miss Granger. But for now, I will say this. It's good to see you again."_ Came Dumbledore's voice in her head. Hermione had to do a double take as she sat down between Harry and Ron.

"I think I'm going to like it here." Harry said.

"Yeah, me too." Hermione replied, giving Harry a smile.

"Aw…! Isn't this nice? Our 'ickle Ronniekins has joined the gang, I think we've been blessed." Said one of the Redheads Hermione had seen, the one sat next to him, who looked identical, replied.

"Or cursed."

"Oi! Nock it off you two!" Ron protested.

"Fred, George, leave him alone." Said an older redheaded boy, who appeared to be in his 5th year, and wore a Prefect's badge.

"Yes, all mighty liege Percy!" the twins said in unison, their tone full of sarcasm. Hermione chuckled, as did several of the other students.

"Are they always like that?" she asked Ron.

"Always." Said Ron, his cheeks scarlet with embarrassment.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After the ceremony was over, came the first evening Feast, once that, and the customary greetings and laying-out of the rules by Dumbledore, the students retired to their respective dorms.

Hermione was just carrying her trunk along the corridor, when one of the ghosts, Hermione recognized him immediately as Nearly-headless Nick, floated in front of her.

"Hello Hermione, I'm here to tell you that once you've settled in, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office." Nick then gave her a kind smile, before floating through the wall.

About 20 minutes later, Hermione had stashed her trunk in the first year girls dorm, then was making her way back to the tower where she knew the Headmaster's office was located.

When she reached the Gargoyle, it turned its stone head to look at her. "Password." It said.

"I'm expected." She replied.

"I still need the password." Came the stoic reply.

"Fine." Hermione sighed. "You just better be prepared to explain to Dumbledore why I'm late, when he's asked to see me." That seemed to get the Gargoyle's attention. It blinked at her, before stepping aside, allowing her access to the rotating stairwell.

Once she stepped off the stairs, she casually walked forward into the main office. She'd been here several times the last time she was at the school.

It didn't take her long to spot Fawkes, who was perched on a stand over what looked like an ash tray, she then looked around at all the paintings, all of whom seemed to be sleeping. She also noticed, with a little smile, the portrait of Professor Dippet.

"Ah, Hermione, come in." at the voice, she turned to seem Dumbledore sat behind his desk. Minerva stood off to one side, looking at her intently.

"Hello Minerva, it's good to see you again." Hermione smiled. Minerva's eyes widened, then a look of uncertainty crossed her face.

"So, I was right. It really is you, isn't it Hermione?"

"Yes, Minerva. It is." Dumbledore answered, drawing their combined attention towards himself.

"But…How?" Minerva asked, looking at her mentor and friend.

"You were right, Minnie." Hermione said, Minerva's face softened at that nickname. "Tom Riddle is a no-good piece of-"

"What did he do?" Minerva asked.

"He killed me. He killed Myrtle too, and pinned the blame on Hagrid."

"I know, dear, wait. He killed you? And Myrtle? But, you don't seem dead to me." Minerva said, looking confused.

"An old friend of mine intervened, and took her away to somewhere where she could be healed." Albus replied for Hermione.

"But, how? Death isn't something you can just come back from." Minerva protested. Hermione smiled. _"If only she knew…"_ she thought.

"You asked to see me Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Indeed I did. I was informed of your impending return, I'm also aware of why you're here, and who sent you." Hermione's eyebrows raised.

"_He knows Ash?"_ she thought.

"Indeed, I do know him." Albus said.

"Professor, if you know why I'm here, then you must also know what I plan to do to Riddle when I get my hands on him."

"Yes, but I must warn you to keep your head down, for now. Don't let anyone, particularly any of the Slytherins, know why you're really here. And, if you need to gain access to my office for any reason, merely present the Gargoyle with that rather nice looking tattoo on your right shoulder, and you will be granted entrance."

Hermione nodded, but Minerva cut her a sharp look. "A tattoo? I hope it's nothing that would be regarded as something evil, like the Dark Mark." Hermione shook her head.

"No, the man who put it there said it would one day save my life." She replied. Dumbledore nodded. "Interesting. Now, Miss Granger, I believe it's time for you to return to your dorm. Classes will begin tomorrow after breakfast. At breakfast you, along with your fellow students will be issued your timetables." Hermione nodded her understanding, then turned and left, casting a look at Fawkes, who stared back at her, before she was out the door.

As soon as she was gone, Minerva turned on Albus, her eyes aflame. "Why didn't you tell me Hermione was still alive?! You know Albus, I never believed what you told me; about her wondering into the Forbidden Forest and getting killed by some of the creatures there."

"I understand you're upset Minerva, but please, try to understand, there are forces, and beings, at work that are far more powerful than your or I." Albus replied. Minerva scowled at him, before turning and storming out of his office. Dumbledore sighed, but he knew the best thing for him to do was to let Minerva calm down on her own.

It was the start of a new term, a new year at Hogwarts, and truthfully, he didn't know what lay ahead, he only hoped Hermione was prepared for anything, and everything, that happened, and that she would keep to her assignment.

----

As Hermione settled down into bed, she wondered what the next day, the real start of term, would bring, and she wondered just how well she'd do in potions this time around, since her teacher was a Slytherin this time, not a Ravenclaw. Sighing, she closed her eyes and went to sleep, waiting for the morning.

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Well, how's this for a second chapter? I also noticed I only got two reviews for the first chapter, I admit I would like a little more feedback, I need to know what you people think of this story, and, if you have any ideas, put them in your review, and I'll see what I can do. ******


	3. A New Start

**The Dark-Huntress part 1:**

**Broken Wings.**

**Summery: AU Harry Potter/Dark-Hunter crossover. A rewrite of Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts, starting in his first year. When The-Boy-Who-Lived starts his first year at Hogwarts, an ancient order, almost as old as the Wizarding World, yet for the most part, unknown to it, sends one of it's youngest members to Hogwarts with him, when an evil not seen in 10 years, threatens to return.**

**Pairings: H/Hr, pairings between other characters will develop in later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Harry Potter characters and places are copyright to JK Rowling. The Dark-Hunters and associated characters, places and creatures are copyright to Sherrilyn Kenyon.**

**A/N: Sorry for the late update folks, life related things got in the way. (and writers block :P) Thank you to MysticGoth, Kikipet, Janax, Davek86, Till2NiteDoUsPart, Killjoker and Snowdove30 for their kind reviews, sugestions and support. I hope more of you guys take an interest in this story.**

**Now, on with the chapter. :D**

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Chapter 2: A New Start.**

oOoOoOoOoOo

_The Great Hall, 8:15am next morning._

Hermione entered the Great Hall to find a few students already there; breakfast was due to be served at approached the Gryffindor table, and saw that Harry was already there; reading what looked to be a potions book. _"Jumping right in, he's certainly eager."_ she thought, smiling to herself.

"Morning Harry." She said cheerfully as she sat down next to him.

"Morning Hermione." He said, looking up from the book.

"Reading up on potions?" she asked, Harry nodded.

"Yeah, thought I might start reading." Hermione smiled as she went to grab a glass of pumpkin juice. As she filled it, she saw Ron coming toward them. Glaring at Hermione out of corner of his blue eyes, Ron said to Harry. "Morning Harry." Harry just waved over his book at Ron. Ron rolled his eyes as he reached across the table and grabbed the top of the book. Pulling it down, he saw Harry start to look irritated.

"What do you want Ron?" Ron sighed. "All I wanted was for you to acknowledge that I'm here. And what about saving me a seat, huh? You let her sit next to you. What is she? Your _girlfriend_?"

Hermione looked a little embarrassed as she said to Harry. "I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you Harry." Harry shook his head. "It's not you." But Hermione had had enough; she stood up and left the Great Hall, forgetting about breakfast entirely.

Harry watched as she left, feeling a little guilty and irritated at Ron's behavior. He looked at Ron. "Couldn't be nice to her?" Ron crossed his arms as he sat back in his seat. "Why should I? She's been nothing but a bother since we met her. Something's not right about her."

------------

In the deserted entrance hall, Hermione sat on the bottom stair of the many stairs of Hogwarts. She put her hand under her chin in annoyance as she said out loud. "Who does he think he is anyway? I swear, in my time, I was better respected."

She then felt a burning sensation on her shoulder, it was a sensation Hermione knew too well. She smiled sadly as she said. "Hello Simi." It took a second for her 'sister' to materialize, Simi had the body built of sixteen year old girl with long wavy black hair and her normal yellow eyes with red rimming them. She was wearing a long black cloak with a tight black skirt and a white long-sleeved T-shirt underneath. Her wings were black with white horns on her head, matching the ensemble. She looked concerned for her sister. Simi went to sit next to Hermione and she spoke in her sing-song voice.

"Are you okay, Hermione? Akri told me to come and check up on you." Hermione looked at her sister. "It's only been a day. Is he really that paranoid?" Simi shrugged. "He just had this weird look on his face and told me to come and check on you. So what is wrong?"

Hermione sighed. "It's everything. I just can't make friends like I used to." Simi then looked angry. "Who has hurt the Simi's sister? The Simi will Barbeque them until they're nice and crispy, or say they're sorry, which ever comes first." As Simi stood up, Hermione pulled her back down. "It's okay Simi, I don't need protection. I just feel lonely, that's all."

Simi pulled Hermione closer to her and hugged her. "It will be okay, Mione. Sister Simi is here for you. She loves you." Hermione smiled at that as she hugged Simi back. "Thank you Simi. I love you too." Upon hearing that, Simi smiled widely. "Good. Now does Hermione feel better? Can I go back to my QVC now?" Chuckling, Hermione nodded. "Go right ahead Simi and tell Acheron not to worry; I'm going to be fine."

As Simi went back onto Hermione's body, the sensation of her quickly went away and Hermione knew Simi was gone.

She sighed as she heard the bell sound throughout the school. It was time for her classes. She saw Ron coming out of the Great Hall, looking sour. She smirked as she thought. _'Serves him right.' _

Then she saw Harry come out of the Great Hall, holding his Potions book under his arm. She went up to him, ignoring the glowering look of Ron's. She said to him. "Are you okay?" Harry smiled at her. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" Hermione looked down at the spot where Simi was moments ago. "I'm fine now."

As she and Harry made their way down to the dungeons, a person came out of the shadows. His silver eyes watched Hermione with a triumphant, yet scared, look on his face.

"I knew it. You are a Dark-Hunter, aren't you, Miss Granger?"

Draco Malfoy looked down at his ring, the only thing that kept him from being burnt to a crisp. He knew his father would love this information, but first, he had to show the Dark-Hunter who was the more powerful of the two. He smirked as he headed after the rest of his class to the dungeons for the first Potions class of the year.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Harry had just sat himself down in the dank dungeon classroom; the other students were already in the room, talking busily amongst themselves. The last student to enter was Malfoy, and, Harry noted, he seemed to be paying particular attention to Hermione, casting quick, and often snide looks her way.

"What's his problem…" He muttered. Hermione, who was sat to his right, ignored Draco and whispered to Harry.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing important." Ron, sat on the other side of Hermione, still had a sour look on his face. On the other side of Harry sat Neville, who, quite frankly, looked rather nervous. "I hope I do well in this class." he said with a slight shake to his voice.

"Don't worry Neville, you'll do fine." Harry reassured him.

At that moment, the heavy door creaked open and in walked Snape, a glower on his face as he surveyed the class, who quickly quieted down as soon as he entered.

"There will be no foolish wand waving, incantations or amateurish spells cast within this room during my lessons." He said in a sharp, almost bitter tone. He then walked quickly to the head of the class, and surveyed his students. He then picked up a parchment and dipped a quill in a nearby inkwell.

"Miss Patil." He snapped.

"…Yes?" The young girl asked, surprised at being singled out.

Snape got a drawl look on his face.

"I'm doing the roll call Miss Patil, 'Present' will suffice."

"Oh…present." The young Gryffindor said somewhat sheepishly.

"Weasley." Snape growled.

"Present." Came the reply.

As Snape continued roll-call, Hermione had the feeling she was being watched. She turned her head slightly and saw Malfoy staring at her. Harry saw Hermione look at Malfoy and he said to her. "Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you."

Hermione turned toward Harry, smiling. "It's okay. I can handle him." She then smirked at Malfoy before she heard her name being called by Snape.

"Granger?"

"Present." she replied.

But as she looked at Snape, she had a feeling that he was staring at Harry with hatred in his eyes. It seemed odd to her. She turned toward Harry, who was sitting uncomfortably. She then heard Snape call out.

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter…" he looked up from his list and stared at Harry, "Our new celebrity. How delightful." Hearing sniggering from behind her, Hermione turned and saw Malfoy chuckling. She so wanted to bare her fangs at him and show him who's boss, but Acheron would kill her.

Instead, she turned back around and saw Harry was just as angry. He took out his quill and ink and started to write furiously. Meanwhile, Snape was ending his roll-call. He set the scroll down and said,

"I see you got your books out, but in this class. You use your mind more than books. It's about common sense. If you want to pass my class, you have to be willing to test yourselves to the limit of your Potion abilities. But I prefer more then the limit. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stop death. And…"

He then turned his eyes on Harry, "Are you listening, Mr. Potter?" Harry didn't seem to hear him; he didn't want to hear him. There was something about Snape that Harry didn't like.

Snape's nostrils were flaring as he walked to in front of Harry. "Potter!" Harry jumped as he looked up at Snape, his green eyes flaring. Hermione bit her lip like she wanted to interrupt, but she felt a tug next to her. She turned and saw Ron, who shook his head.

"Don't. Snape does not like anyone interrupting him."

Like she cared what Ron told her, Hermione turned back toward Harry, who was looking a little scared, but he stood his ground. She then heard Snape ask Harry. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Beads of sweat started to come down Harry's face as he stuttered. "I don't know, sir." Hermione had shot her hand up into the air, she knew the answer. Maybe she could get Snape's attention away from Harry.

Snape, instead ignored her, he smirked at Harry. "Didn't even bother to open your book, did you?" Harry narrowed his eyes on the Potions Master. "I did." Snape looked smug. "Apparently not long enough. Let's try again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Again, Hermione shot her hand into the air. She was getting tired of this game Snape was playing with Harry. It was like he was trying to humiliate him. And again, Snape ignored her.

Harry turned toward her and said to Snape. "You should ask Hermione, it seems like she knows." Snape turned towards Hermione and he looked at her up and down, he didn't seem impressed by her.

"Put your hand down Miss Granger or you'll lose your House points." But Hermione didn't put her hand down, instead she said to him. "Sir, as a teacher, shouldn't you be willing to take another student's answers and not signal one out?"

The class gasped as they heard Hermione talk back to Snape. Snape had a disgusted look on his face before stepping away from Harry and going to Hermione. He didn't get in her face; instead he looked down at her.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for talking back to the teacher." That's when Hermione got angry, she stood up in her seat and said to Snape. "Fifty points because I corrected you? You have got to be the worst teacher I've ever seen."

Snape said nothing as he went to his desk and wrote down a note. He looked back at Hermione and said. "Detention for one week, Miss Granger and another fifty points for your cheek."

As Snape went to the blackboard, Hermione sat back down in her seat, still glowering. She then felt a hand touch hers. She looked and saw Harry holding her hand slightly. He smiled.

"Thanks Hermione." Hermione blushed slightly before pulling her hand away, saying, "You're welcome."

She then took out her quill and ink, trying to ignore the snickers from Malfoy and his goons in the back. Well, this week wasn't a total loss so far. She already lost one hundred points for her house.

And she wondered what other surprises awaited her.

----------------

It seemed like an eternity before the bell rang signifying Potions class was over with. Hermione stuffed her school bag before standing up with Harry just right behind her. Neville also joined them. He said to them. "He's tough, isn't he?"

Neville had a pretty hard time in class, so did Harry. Although Neville's potion exploded, showering the floor with glittering yellow potion that seemed to eat the floor. That was most exciting thing about it. Hermione had gotten her potion right, which seemed to make Snape glower more. Harry nodded as he looked at Hermione. "Are you okay?" Hermione sighed as she kept her gaze on the ground.

"I'm fine."

She just wished this was going better then she thought it would. It seemed easier in her time, but it was a new decade and she needed to learn how to deal with things here. She lifted her head and smiled at the two of them.

"So, ready to go to lunch?" Harry smiled. "Yeah." Neville noticed the passing glances that Harry and Hermione made and he couldn't help but chuckle knowingly as they headed to the Great Hall.

-----------------

Back in Snape's classroom, Draco was standing in front of Snape's desk, telling him what he saw and what he heard. Snape looked at his godson. "So you're saying she's a Dark-Hunter? How could she be recruited? She's too young to be one. You're talking nonsense, Draco."

Draco sighed. "Sir, it's true. She has the black eyes and I saw her demon." Snape's black eyes lit to attention at that. "Demon? What kind of demon? What did it look like?" Draco closed his eyes, as if he was trying to think.

"She had black wings, white horns and a body of a sixteen year-old girl. And I don't know what kind of demon it was. Its name was Simi, though." Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting. Thank you Draco, but I think it's time you head to lunch now." Draco bowed slightly before heading out of the room.

Snape sat back in his chair, with his hand on his chin. This was a very interesting predicament indeed. He closed his eyes then opened them, revealing yellow eyes with white rimming, also red horns grew out of his head. His nails grew long, like claws and his blood red wings grew out from his back.

Smiling evilly, showing his fangs, Snape said. "Very interesting indeed."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later that afternoon, after Transfiguration, this, for Hermione, had gone on rather well, despite the fact that she and Harry were five minutes late and narrowly avoiding detention.

Now, they were out on the Quidditch pitch, along with the Slytherins, about to begin their first flying lesson with Madam Hooch.

"Remember! Let your weight steer the broom. If you want to level out of a dive, quickly pull up on the broom. Now, I want you to step forwards, and extend your right hand, and say 'Up!'" Hooch commanded.

All the students present did as instructed.

"UP!" they yelled.

Hermione smiled as the broom shot up into her hand and she gripped it tightly. She smiled. She looked around her to see that most of the other students were likewise holding their brooms with satisfaction written on their faces, especially Harry.

"Now. Place your right leg over the broom." Hooch ordered. They did so. "Now, on three, kick off. One…Two…"

Unfortunately, Neville was a little too quick, and shot off the ground and into the air with a cry of panic.

"Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch cried "Angle your broom down!"

The students on the ground watched as Neville circled the Quidditch pitch in an erratic ellipse, then, just as he was over the center of the pitch, Hooch's order finally registered, and he dived, straight towards the ground.

The Gryffindors winced as he landed with a sickening crunch, face down. Malfoy and the Slytherins, on the other hand, were snickering to themselves. Hooch was at Neville's side instantly, a worried look on her face. When she gently rocked him, he let out a low groan. A look of relief crossed her face as she began to help Neville to his feet.

"I'm going to take Mr. Longbottom to the medical wing, and if I come back and find any of you on those brooms, I'll see to it that you'll be on the train home by sunset." And with that, she turned and guided Neville towards the castle. "Are you alright dear?" she asked. Neville nodded.

"I…it's my arm…" he groaned, cradling the aforementioned limb.

"Be thankful it wasn't your neck." She said as she led him away.

"That idiot." Malfoy scoffed. "Obviously doesn't know how to fly." He then noticed something on the ground where Neville had landed. Walking towards it, he stooped and picked it up.

"Oh look, fly-boy dropped something." He sneered as he rolled it over in his hands.

"It's a remembrall." One of the Slytherins pointed out. "It's supposed to turn red when you've forgotten something."

Draco smirked. "Obviously broken, 'cause he clearly forgot how to land." He chuckled; several of the other Slytherins did too.

"Hand it over Malfoy." Harry snapped. Draco scoffed at him, "Make me." As Harry made to take another step forward, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw Hermione shake her head.

"Don't Harry, he just wants to fight to get you expelled."

Draco smirked at that. "Well Potter, it seems that you need your _girlfriend_ to fight your battles for you." The Slytherins behind him laughed hysterically. Harry felt his anger rise even as Hermione whispered to him. "Harry, ignore it. Just ignore it."

Still smirking, Draco took his broom, mounted it and flew into the sky. He shouted to Harry below. "What's the matter Potter? Too scared to come up after me?"

Narrowing his own eyes, Harry shrugged off Hermione's touch and flew up after him. Hermione sighed as she grabbed her own broom off the ground. She muttered. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but it's for his own good." She then flew up after Harry and Malfoy.

When she reached them, Malfoy laughed. "Oh, this is priceless! Two expelled Gryffindors? It must be my lucky day!" Hermione laughed the same way Malfoy did. "Yeah, but you're the one who's going to be expelled or should I say executed?"

Harry noticed that Malfoy's eyes held a flicker of fear at her words. But that faded when he turned back to him. "You want Longbottom's toy? Then go fetch like the dog you are." Malfoy then threw the remembrall as hard as he could toward the castle. Harry automatically went off it, leaving Hermione alone with Malfoy.

Hermione chuckled maliciously as she flew closer. "Well, it seems that you and I are alone now, Malfoy. Any last words?" Smirking again, Malfoy shrugged. "You can't kill me, Dark-Hunter. You know that or your boss will have your head."

It was Hermione's turn to smirk. "What the boss doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, he'd probably kill you anyway. You're nothing but a worthless Apollite." Anger flamed in Malfoy's eyes as he flew straight at her. Hermione took the hit, grabbing onto Malfoy as they hit the ground.

When they hit the ground, Malfoy was struggling for release, but Hermione held him in a tight grip. Apollites were strong, but the Dark-Hunters were stronger. With one final tug, Hermione was on top of him, pinning him to the grass below. She smiled evilly. "It seems the Dark-Hunter has won. Give up?"

Malfoy glared before he bared his fangs at her. Hermione shivered in fake fear as she said dramatically. "Oh, I'm so scared."

In the background, she heard her fellow classmates cheering Harry, but she ignored it as she looked up at the ring. "You know Malfoy; I could kill you very easily. All I have to do is remove that ring and you're dust in the wind."

Struggling even more as Hermione lingered her hand over the ring, Malfoy stuttered out.

"Okay, okay! I give! Just don't kill me please!"

Letting out a sound of disgust, Hermione lifted Malfoy up by the collar of his shirt, her now black eyes locked with his gray ones. She whispered threatening in his ear. "If I ever see you threaten Harry again, I will kill you and make it look an accident."

With that threat in mind, Malfoy stood up and walked off. As Hermione watched him, she saw Harry following Minerva and he looked upset. Going after them, she said to Minerva, panting as she did. "M—Professor, it wasn't his fault. It was Malfoy's. He stole the remembrall from Neville!"

Minerva stopped, turning to face her and it seemed that there was a small smile on her face. She said to Hermione then in her superior tone.

"Don't worry, Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter and I just have some business to discuss."

Turning back around, Minerva gently gripped Harry's shoulder and led him back down the hallway, leaving Hermione standing there, feeling lost.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Tapping her fingers against the chair she was sitting in, Hermione was trying to wait patiently for Harry to return. Trying being the key word there. Ever since she left Harry alone with Minerva, Hermione was nervous. She'd known Minerva for seven years and she knew how strict her friend was. She just hoped when Harry got back, he wasn't packing his bags.

"Seeker? I can't believe it, you made seeker? You're just a first year."

Hermione perked up when she heard the portrait hole open to reveal Harry and Ron. Ron was looking exciting and yet jealous at the same time. Harry was looking nervous and pleased as he said to Ron.

"I know, that's what Wood told McGonagall. But McGonagall told him that I have the skills to play for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."

"She what?"

Harry and Ron turned to the voice that had spoken. Hermione was glaring at them with a curious intent. Harry went over to her immediately; sitting on the couch next to her while Ron sat next to him.

"McGonagall made me the seeker of the Quidditch team!"

Hermione blinked her brown eyes and started to shake her head. Harry was Hermione's charge, she was supposed to keep him safe and Minerva pulls this shit? What the hell was Minerva thinking? She said to Harry, still shaking her head.

"You can't. It's too dangerous."

Ron scoffed at that. "Oh come on Hermione…" Hermione interrupted him. "No, you come on. Harry's our friend and you want to put him in danger?" Curling his lip, Ron pointed between him and Harry. "_We're_ friends, you're not our friend. You're just a know-it-all who doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut about things she doesn't understand!"

Feeling her jaw go slack and her eyes start to gather with tears, Hermione stood up from the chair and started to leave the room, toward the portrait hole when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Harry. Harry was looking angry on her behalf. He said to her.

"Don't worry about Ron. He'll come around. And for the record, you may not be his friend, but you're my friend, Hermione Granger."

Hermione beamed and before she even knew what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly to her. In the instant she did, she felt him go tense, very tense like he never had a hug before. She whispered in his ear. "Thank you, Harry.

Against her cheek, she felt heat radiate off his face as he whispered back. "You're welcome."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

That night, after a dreadful detention with Snape, Hermione walked out of the dungeons, cringing as she tried to wipe off the excess muck from her hands. She muttered angrily as she started to walk back to Gryffindor Tower.

"I cannot believe he made me clean up his potions cabinet and he had the nerve to quiz me throughout it. Argh! I hate him; I hate him so much…"

But as she took her first step on the stairs, her Dark-Hunter senses went into overdrive. Her eyes turning black, she scanned the dark castle. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but she swore she felt a Daimon presence. Shaking her head at that ludicrous thought, Hermione went up the stairs.

It wasn't until she was level with the third floor corridor that she felt that eerie sensation again. It was definitely a Daimon she felt, but why would a Daimon be here in Hogwarts? Well, it could be only Draco, but he was an Apollite, they shouldn't even be on a Dark-Hunter's radar.

Before she could think any further, she heard a sound behind her. Gripping her wand tightly, she turned around, silently casting Lumos as she did, and there she saw the two people she knew would be the only idiots to be out of bed this late.

"Harry, Ron, what are you two doing up this late at night?"

The boys looked at each other quick then Harry turned back to Hermione. "We decided to take a stroll." Hermione arched a brow. "This late in the evening? It's midnight, now what are you two doing up?"

Ron looked annoyed as he glanced at Harry. "Harry was worried about you." Hermione glanced over at Harry then, who was blushing red. Smiling, Hermione said. "You didn't have to worry about me, Harry. I'm fine, in fact, I was about to head back to Gryffindor Tower when you two showed up."

Then as Ron began to comment, they heard another voice starting to approach them.

"Where are they, my sweet?"

Knowing it was Argus Filch, the caretaker, Hermione motioned the boys to follow her down the third floor corridor. Ron whispered. "Hermione, we're not supposed to be down here! This floor is forbidden!" Hermione let out a low agitated sigh as she turned to Ron. "So what was I supposed to do, let Filch catch us? If he catches us, we'll have worse problems than trespassing!"

Harry interrupted them. "Be quiet, both of you or Filch will catch us!"

Those words came too late when they heard a cat's meow behind them. Hermione turned around, wand still out in front of her, the faint light from her wand flashed on the cat in front of them. Ron smirked. "How about we have a little fun with her? You know, maybe like kick her?" Hermione glowered at Ron as she hissed. "Ron, that's really mean, especially to an innocent cat."

"If that cat's innocent, then I'm Snape."

Growling low in his throat, Harry said to them. "Enough bickering! Let's go before she alerts Filch that she found us." But, once again, they were too late. Mrs. Norris let out a loud meow that made the trio cover their ears. Hermione only said one word. "Run!"

The trio made their way down the corridor and Hermione was looking for a place to hide. Sighing in relief, she saw a door up ahead, but when she saw it was locked, she quickly said. "Alohomora!"

Watching as the blue mist went into the lock; she heard a click, which made Hermione sigh in relief. She opened that door and instantly shoved Harry and Ron in. Following after them, Hermione shut the door quietly. Leaning her ear against it, she saw Harry do the same. They both heard Filch coming down the corridor.

"They have escaped, my sweet. We'll be sure to catch them next time, won't we?"

When they heard silence, both Harry and Hermione let out a sigh of relief as they turned to face each other. Harry smiled until he looked at her eyes. "Hermione? Aren't your eyes brown, not black?"

Hermione turned her head quickly, closing her eyes, turning them back to their original color. She then looked back at Harry, her eyes brown now, "It was just the lighting, Harry. It's really dark in here, where do you think we are?"

"Hermione…"

Sighing in an annoyed tone, Hermione asked Ron. "What is it, Ron?" Ron turned around to face her, his face white, he was pointing his shaking index finger at the thing on the floor. Hermione went over to him, looking at where Ron was pointing. She gasped as it started to rise; six golden eyes stared down at the trio.

Harry gulped as he stood next to Hermione, noticing the dog had three heads. "Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"What do we do now?"

Hermione looked back at Harry then at the three-headed dog. "I suggest we…**RUN**!!!!" The trio then ran to the door, Hermione leading the way. She instantly pulled open the door, shoving both Harry and Ron out, both of them landing on the hard floor in the hallway. Hermione then proceeded to try and close the door, but the three-headed dog was pushing back, trying to get free.

Harry instantly shot up and went to help Hermione. Hermione turned to him and said. "Thanks!"

"You can thank me later; right now we need to shut this door!"

Seeing Ron helping them now, Hermione felt herself smile more as the trio then closed and locked the door on the dog. They could hear it barking and growling at them on the other side.

Panting, Hermione turned to the other two, glowering at them both. "This will teach you to find me after midnight."

---------

Back in the common room, Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in front of the fire. Ron asked Hermione, "What was that thing?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was a three-headed dog that wanted to have us for dinner. How blind can you be, Ron?"

Ignoring that last comment, Ron said. "I know that, but I mean, what's it doing here? At school?" Harry nodded in agreement. "I've been wondering the same thing." Hermione sighed as she leaned her head back against the couch she was sitting on with Harry; Ron was on the armchair next to them.

"I'm not sure."

Ron raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, I'm surprised."

"Why?"

Leaning forward, he said to them both. "You didn't notice the trapdoor under the dog's feet?" Hermione scoffed. "Like I could see that, I was concentrating on not getting caught by Filch!"

Harry mused. "Ron's right, before we ran out of there; I did see something like a trapdoor." Hermione's jaw dropped. Why couldn't she have noticed that? She's a Dark-Hunter for Zeus' sake! Shaking her head, she asked Ron. "Was there anything else that we should know about?"

Ron shrugged. "There was nothing else to see. The dog is obviously guarding something."

"Oh really? Like that's not obvious. The question should be what it is guarding."

Silence surrounded the trio for some time before Hermione looked at the clock on mantel. It was almost three in the morning. Stretching, Hermione said to Harry and Ron. "I don't know about you two, but it's almost three and we have school in five hours and I for one would like my beauty sleep."

Walking past Harry on the couch, she went over to the girl's staircase. Before she set her foot on the first step, she turned to face the boys. "If one of you comes up with an idea like again, being expelled will not be the worst of your problems."

Harry and Ron both looked at each other, and then back at Hermione, who smirked.

"Good night, boys." She then proceeded to climb the stairs to her room where she quietly closed the door. She chuckled to herself as she leaned against the door. For some reason, Hermione felt at home.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Thanks for reading folks, and please don't forget to review. :)**


	4. Halloween

**The Dark-Huntress Part 1:**

**Broken Wings.**

**Summery: AU Harry Potter/Dark-Hunter crossover. A rewrite of Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts, starting in his first year. When The-Boy-Who-Lived starts his first year at Hogwarts, an ancient order, almost as old as the Wizarding World, yet for the most part, unknown to it, sends one of it's youngest members to Hogwarts with him, when an evil not seen in 10 years, threatens to return.**

**Pairings: H/Hr, pairings between other characters will develop in later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Harry Potter characters and places are copyright to JK Rowling. The Dark-Hunters and associated characters, places and creatures are copyright to Sherrilyn Kenyon.**

**AN: A big thankyou to all those who have reviewed this story so far, and to those who have added it to their fave/alert lists. And sorry about the lateness of this update, it took me a while to proof read it, I got distracted with other things. :P My girlfriend and I will start working on the next chapter soon.  
**

**Now on with chapter 3!**

**Chapter 3: Halloween.**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

_The Great Hall, 8:15 am, the next morning_

Hermione absentmindedly poked at her eggs with her fork as she thought about what happened last night. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, all the noise around her didn't phase or distract her as she tried to sort out in her mind what was going on. Why is that three-headed dog in the castle? Why couldn't she see the trapdoor? And why is she having feelings for a boy that she barely knew?

All these questions were floating inside Hermione's mind that she didn't notice Harry coming over to her and sitting next to her. Ron sat on the other side, staring at Hermione like she was an alien. He looked over at Harry, who shrugged. Harry then looked back at Hermione and asked.

"Hermione, you there?"

Shaking herself out of her stupor, she looked over at Harry, smiling slightly. "Good morning, Harry," she then saw Ron, "and good morning to you too, Ron." Ron scoffed before he went to grab food in front of him. Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's behavior before he said to Hermione.

"Don't pay any attention to him. I think he still doesn't trust you."

Looking at Ron out of the corner of her eye, Hermione nodded. "I know that." But what Harry and Hermione didn't realize was that they were both leaning towards each other like two magnets. Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors noticed this.

Fred Weasley, one of Ron's older brothers, noticed this and nudged his twin, George Weasley, who looked at him in annoyance. "What?" Fred tilted his head toward Harry and Hermione. George smirked as he whispered to his twin brother. "Should we stop them?"

But before they could, sounds of flapping wings took the attention of the Gryffindor table away from Harry and Hermione. Harry pulled back at the sound and saw that Hermione also pulled away, looking at the ceiling. Then Harry saw his beautiful white owl, Hedwig, flying their way with a package in her claws.

She landed on the table, dropping the package and Hermione heard her say inside her mind. _"Damn, that thing was heavy, even to my standards! I hope he appreciates me bringing whatever it is to him." _Hermione then noticed Hedwig cock her head at the package itself. _"Oh my goodness, it's a broomstick." _She then flew off the table to land on Hermione's shoulder, placing her beak close to her ear, like she was nipping her affectionately. She whispered inside Hermione's head, _"Take care of him, Dark-Hunter. And make sure he takes extra care of himself on that flying deathtrap." _Then without another word, Hedwig flew off with the other owls, while muttering to herself, Hermione still hearing her, _"If humans were meant to fly, they'd be born with wings. Stupid flying deathtrap, whoever invented flying broomsticks should get one shoved someplace really uncomfortable."_

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at that. Harry looked at her strangely. "Are you okay, Hermione?" Nodding and wiping some tears of laughter out of her eyes, she said. "I'm fine, really. I was just thinking of something really funny."

Still looking quizzically at her, Harry turned back to his package. Ron was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Open it, Harry!" Hermione stopped him before he could. "Wait, there's a note attached to it!"

Taking off the note, Hermione opened it and read it softly to Harry and Ron.

"_DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE._

_And that comes with a please, I don't want every student knowing you've got a Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight at the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session._

_Professor M. McGonagall"_

The trio looked at each other and Hermione said. "Let's take it outside where no one can see." Picking up the broomstick, Hermione led the two boys out of the Great Hall, noticing that everybody's eyes were on them.

Once they were outside the castle, on the front steps, Hermione handed the broom to Harry.

"Now you can open it."

Grinning like mad men, Harry and Ron feverously opened the parcel revealing the broomstick. Ron was in awe as Harry picked it up. It was beautiful, with a sleek and shiny mahogany handle with a long tail of neat, trim and straight twigs. It even had Nimbus Two Thousand engraved on it.

Harry gripped the broom tightly, feeling overcome with joy and gratitude towards Professor McGonagall. He looked over at Hermione, who was eyeing the broom like it was dangerous and it was going to blow up any second. He cocked his head at Hermione.

"Why are you afraid of broomsticks?"

Scoffing, Hermione shook her head. "I am not _afraid_ of broomsticks; it's the danger of you flying it, that's the problem!" Harry and Ron exchanged looks before Ron said to her. "It's not dangerous; it's probably one of the safest things in the Wizarding World. I read about this broomstick and believe me, it's safe."

Hermione still looked skeptical, but before she could even speak, she heard a voice from the doorway. "Well, Potter, it seems I caught you red-headed."

Narrowing her eyes, which slightly turned black, Hermione looked at Malfoy. He was crossing his arms over his chest in a smug way that made Hermione even madder than she was already.

"Back off, Malfoy! This is none of your business!"

Malfoy smirked, ignoring Hermione, as he walked down the steps to approach Harry. He said to him. "You know, first years are not allowed to have broomsticks. You'll be expelled for this."

But before either of the trio could retort, McGonagall came outside with an exasperated look on her face. She looked at all four of them in turn as she said, sternly. "You four need to get inside now, classes are starting."

Malfoy took the opportunity to say to McGonagall, like a stool pigeon, "Professor, Potter has a broomstick. Isn't that against the rules?"

A humorous twinkle showed in Minerva's eyes as she glanced at Hermione, who was smiling evilly. Minerva nodded as she turned back to Malfoy. "I know, _I_ gave it to him."

Harry looked at Malfoy then, whose jaw dropped in horror and confusion. He then glanced at Professor McGonagall and she smiled at him, then it went away as quick as a flash. She was back to being the Professor.

"Now, get to class…_all_ of you."

Malfoy didn't need to be told twice. The Apollite ran to the double doors and he was gone.

Shaking her head, Minerva looked back at the other three, she said to Harry and Ron.

"Why don't you take that broomstick to your quarters? And don't worry… your first class is with me. You have five minutes to get it up there and back. Miss. Granger…"

Hermione looked at Minerva. "You will come with me. I want to discuss something with you."

Harry looked back and forth between Professor McGonagall and Hermione. He sensed something wasn't right here. Like they knew each other before Hogwarts. Shaking his head of those ridiculous thoughts, he walked to the castle steps with Ron in tow.

-~-~-~-

When Harry and Ron disappeared into the castle, Hermione put her hands on her hips as she glared at Minerva, like a mother with a stubborn child.

"How could you do that?!"

Minerva smirked, showing the side of herself that she hadn't shown in years since she and Hermione were friends. "Do what? You know as well as I do that Harry is perfect for the Quidditch team."

Fuming, Hermione growled out in frustration. "You know I'm supposed to protect him! But now since he's the on the Quidditch team, I'm going to have more complications. All I will be thinking about is how is he going to die and I can't save him! Minerva, I thought you were thinking clearer than that! I swear if he dies and it's your fault, I will sic my demon on you!"

Panting after her speech, Hermione looked at Minerva, who was trying to calm her laughter. Hermione growled even more. "You think this is funny?! Letting an eleven year-old boy fly on that wooden deathtrap?! He could get a splinter or he could crash into the stands! Or worse, he could be hit on the head by a bludger for Zeus' sake! I hope you know what you're doing, Minerva McGonagall!"

Minerva couldn't take it anymore, she laughed at Hermione's outrage. Holding her stomach, Minerva said as she calmed down after a few minutes. "I'm sorry, Hermione. It's just; it's really funny when you're angry. But my decision stands. Harry is going to be part of the Quidditch team whether you like it or not."

Without waiting for Hermione to reply, Minerva turned on her heel and left Hermione alone outside, pissed off at her former best friend.

~*~*~

_Two months later, Quidditch Pitch, Gryffindor stands_

Hermione tried to keep her mind on the book in front of her. She decided to study the game more, so before Harry's first practice two months ago, she went to the library and picked up _Quidditch Through the Ages_. It was interesting, but she kept her eyes open for anything unusual as she watched the Gryffindor team practice.

She had to admit, Harry was actually really good. She supposed since his father was also a Quidditch player (she also found this out in the trophy room awhile back), he had natural talent. It still didn't excuse the fact that this sport was still dangerous and Hermione was not going to let anything happen to her charge.

So, every single practice he had, Hermione told him that she'd come with him. She told him the excuse that she was curious about Quidditch and wanted to watch him play. As she sat there in the stands every practice, Hermione brought a book to read to keep up appearances.

Looking up from the book, Hermione watched as Harry dived dangerously close to the ground and caught the Golden Snitch. Her heart hammering wildly inside her chest, she thought, _"Harry is going to give me a heart attack if he keeps doing those stupid moves!"_

Shaking her head in a disapproving matter, Hermione went back to her book.

Harry laughed as he zoomed up in the sky, letting the wind blow through his hair. He never felt more alive than he did right now. It felt natural and it felt right as he flew through the air. He looked down below at his teammates and saw Hermione reading her book.

He felt his heart start to thrum, but not from his excitement about flying. As he looked at Hermione more, his heart started to beat faster, he felt lightheaded, and he felt like his stomach was full with butterflies flapping their soft wings, making his stomach tickle with excitement.

In fact, he was so fascinated watching Hermione, he didn't notice the Weasley twins flying over to him.

Fred looked over at George, pointing his club at Harry then at Hermione. George chuckled knowingly before he nudged Harry.

"Distracted, Harry?"

Harry shook his head as he looked at George. "No, I was just thinking."

"About Hermione?"

Fred smirked as he added. "We've noticed that she comes to every Quidditch practice. Why do you think that is?"

Harry gulped as he felt his face blush. "Er…she said she was curious about Quidditch and she wanted to watch us practice?"

George made a buzzer noise. "Wrong. That's obviously not the reason. Come on, you must be really dense or really stupid not to notice the signals she's giving you."

Ignoring the dense and stupid comment, Harry cocked his head. "What are you talking about? What signals?"

The twins sighed. Fred looked over at his brother. "He's too young yet. But he will learn soon."

Harry was even more confused at what Fred and George were talking about, but before he could even ask, a whistle blew threw the pitch, reaching even Harry's ears. When he looked at the twins, they were flying downwards toward Oliver Wood, their Captain. He was a handsome fifteen year-old boy with wild ambitions since Harry joined the team.

He watched as Harry flew down and landed, he said. "Harry! Hurry up!"

Running toward the group huddle, Harry squeezed in between Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, two of the three Chasers on the team. He then heard Oliver say. "Okay, our first game is Saturday against Slytherin. I want all of you to get a good night's sleep the night before, got me? I don't want any of you to be sleeping on your brooms, I want you wide awake and alert! We can't let those damn snake worshipers steal what rightfully belongs to us, right?!"

"Yeah!" Everybody cheered. Oliver smiled at the enthusiastic yells, "Now we got that settled, everyone hit the showers!"

As Harry made his way to the locker room, Oliver stopped him by grabbing his arm. Looking up at his Captain, Harry asked. "Yes?" Oliver smiled widely. "Don't worry, you'll do great. Don't be nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

Oliver chuckled. "You're not nervous now, just wait until Saturday."

Harry watched as his Captain walked toward the locker rooms and shook his head. Sure, it was his first real match, but he had nothing to be nervous about. He then felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Harry locked his green eyes with Hermione's brown ones.

She was carrying her book bag over one shoulder and had her other hand on his shoulder. Suddenly feeling embarrassed for some reason, Harry cleared his throat. "Great practice, huh?"

Hermione nodded, but she didn't look interested, "Yeah, you should be great on Saturday."

"Hopefully I don't kill myself doing it."

Harry noticed a light in Hermione's eyes at those words, like that was her worst fear. "Let's hope not."

Smiling reassuringly, Harry said. "I was just joking. I'll be okay." Hermione smiled back, shaking her head. "Let's just hope you're joking and you didn't jinx yourself."

As Hermione said that, the back of her neck tingled. Her Dark-Hunter sense. It was detecting a Daimon, like it was two months ago. Keeping her eyes brown, Hermione turned to Harry.

"How about you go to the locker room with your team? I'll wait out here for you."

Looking curiously at her, Harry didn't argue as he turned around and walked away.

-~-~-~-

Once Harry was out of sight, Hermione let her eyes turn black. She looked left and right. She knew a Daimon was here. She felt it with every fiber of her being. Then as quickly as she felt the presence, it was gone in an instant, like the Daimon wasn't there at all.

Licking one of her fangs in disgust, she growled out. "I know you're afraid of me, but you have to come out eventually, my prey, and you will suffer before I kill you."

Closing her eyes and when she opened them again, her eyes were brown once more. Still cautious, Hermione walked off the pitch, toward the locker room to wait for Harry.

She just hoped that whenever that Daimon came out, Harry was not caught in the crossfire or worse, exposing her true self to him.

That would be a fate worse than death.

~*~*~

_The next day_

When Hermione arrived at the Great Hall the next morning, she had to smile. She remembered her own Halloweens back when she was a student first time around and it still looked marvelous as ever.

Pumpkins were floating above the tables with lit candles inside them and live bats were flying around the Great Hall. She heard a voice behind her. "Feels great to be back for Halloween after all these years?"

Looking over her shoulder, Hermione saw Professor Dumbledore. He was smiling the way he did all those years ago. Sure, his hair and beard were white now, but Hermione still saw him as the man she knew fifty years ago. Hermione nodded at the Headmaster. "Yes. It feels so good to see all decorations. Some things never change around here, do they?"

Dumbledore was still smiling as he went and stood next to her, looking at the ceiling above them and it reminded Hermione of Acheron when he was thinking about something.

"What is it, Professor?"

Looking at his former student, Dumbledore just smiled. "Nothing, my dear. Just enjoy yourself today. You'll need all the happiness in the world."

But before Hermione could ask what he meant, he was walking toward the Head table. Feeling the urge to growl in annoyance, Hermione went to the Gryffindor table. She swore that Dumbledore and Acheron were alike. They never told you a damn thing.

She was still a little pissed off when she heard somebody sitting next to her. She looked and her anger went away. Harry smiled at her. "Good morning, Hermione."

"Morning, Harry."

Filling his plate with his usual breakfast foods, he saw Hermione looked a little distracted. "Are you okay? You're having that look whenever you're thinking about a question in class."

Raising an eyebrow, Hermione said. "I'm fine, I'm just thinking about charms today."

"Oh yeah, we're learning about levitation, right?"

But Hermione wasn't paying attention to him, she was thinking about what Dumbledore said. She had a feeling that something was going to happen tonight, something that was going to change her relationship with Harry forever.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Harry's hand on her arm. She looked at him and he said. "The bell just rang, class is starting. We better get to Charms before we're late… again…"

Nodding her agreement, Hermione stood up with him and walked with him, but not before she looked back at Dumbledore, who had a twinkle in his eye that made Hermione nervous and yet anxious.

What was this Halloween night going to bring?

~*~*~

Hermione had her hand under her chin as she looked uninterestedly at Professor Flitwick talking to them about levitation. She already knew this stuff. Harry, who was down a few seats was writing down notes and looking fascinated. How she wished she was down by him, but instead she was partnered with, according to her, the most annoying person on the planet, Ronald Weasley.

It seemed that he wasn't happy about their current situation either. He was trying to look at anywhere but her, which was fine by Hermione. Instead of paying attention, Hermione cast her eyes at Harry again. She watched as his green eyes lit up when Professor Flitwick made a feather fly into the air and it made Hermione smile.

She felt her heart start to hammer inside her chest loudly and she wondered if anybody else could hear it. She shook her head, what the hell was she doing? She was supposed to be protecting him, not ogling him like some hormonal crazed teenager. Technically she was a teenager, but that wasn't the point! She was not supposed to ogling her charge period!

Turning her head back to the front of the class, Hermione heard Professor Flitwick tell them to start the spell and make their feathers fly. Hermione sighed. She knew how to do this already, so she opted to watch Harry try his luck.

It seems he was having a little trouble and Hermione wished again she was there to help him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Ron next to her.

"Wingardium Leviosa! Wingardium Leviosa!"

Looking at what he was doing, he was practically poking the feather with his wand, forcing it to fly up in the air. She realized he was saying it wrong. She knew she didn't want to sound like a know-it-all, but she decided to help nonetheless.

"You're saying it wrong."

Ron looked at her, annoyed. "I'm saying it right!" He then turned back to the feather and just when he was about to say the spell again, Hermione said. "Stop! Before you say another word, you're supposed to say: Win_gar_dium Leviosa. Make the 'gar' nice and long."

Looking peeved at her, Ron scoffed. "Well if you know the spell, do it."

Hermione smirked as she then turned to her own white feather, pointing her wand and said, correctly, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

And just like that, Hermione's feather flew into the air gallantly, floating over the students. Professor Flitwick saw this and said. "Oooo! Very good Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor! Everyone! Follow Miss Granger's example!"

Hermione felt so proud of herself that she didn't care if Ron was looking jealous and petty over the fact that she could do it and not him. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Harry, who was smiling at her as he watched her feather.

Without meaning to, Hermione felt her heart start to hammer again at the lop-sided grin that Harry gave her.

-~-~-

"She's a menace I tell you! I swear Harry I don't know why you hang around her!"

Ron exclaimed as he walked with Seamus, Neville, Dean, and Harry after Charms class. Harry was looking at him out of the corner of his eye and he saw his friend was angry at him.

"Come on, admit it! She's annoying!"

Harry turned to look at Ron then, his anger definitely potent in his green eyes. "She's not annoying, she's nice. She's definitely treating me nicer than you! You are only around me when she's not around me. Why do you hate her?"

"I don't hate her. There's just something about her that scares me and I don't know why. You should watch yourself Harry."

Harry glared at Ron before he felt someone bump into him. He saw Hermione walking past them and he felt his heart constrict at the sight of the tears running down her face. He never wanted to comfort someone before, not receiving any of his own, but now he wanted to go to Hermione and hold her.

Just before he was about to go after her, Ron held him back. "Don't even think about it. She'll just drag you down to her level. Besides we got the Halloween feast to go to."

Before he went to the Great Hall with the group, Harry looked back at where he saw Hermione walk away.

-~-~-~-

Sitting in the Great Hall later that evening, Harry was barely noticing the delicious food that was on his plate. His mind was on Hermione. He really hated Ron for what he said about her. He heard from Lavender and Parvati (actually he heard them whispering it) that Hermione had locked herself in the girls' bathroom and wasn't coming out. He had glared at Ron then and to his surprise, Ron was looking a little guilty.

Sighing, Harry heard his stomach rumble in protest and was about to take a bite of his dinner when he heard the Great Hall doors open. Everyone looked in the direction of the noise and Professor Quirrell, their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, came into view.

His turban was falling off his head and he was looking scared beyond belief. His eyes were wide with fear as he shouted shrilly. "TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

Silence filled the Great Hall as Dumbledore stood up from the Head table. But before he could say another word, Quirrell, like the coward he is, fainted as he fell face forward to the ground.

Then that started a panic inside the Great Hall. Everywhere Harry looked; people were screaming and trying to escape the Great Hall.

"SILENCE!"

Hearing Dumbledore raise his voice kind of shocked Harry, but he thought it was necessary to calm everyone down. The Headmaster then said. "Everyone will quietly exit the Great Hall and back to your dormitories. Prefects, you are in charge."

Harry then heard Ron's brother, Percy, say to all the Gryffindors. "Follow me!"

Getting up instantly, Harry followed Percy to the doors when he heard Ron say in his ear. "I don't know how a troll could get in. Trolls are supposed to really stupid."

Shrugging, Harry walked on, following the other Gryffindors to the dormitories when he remembered something. He looked at Ron.

"Hermione."

"What about her?"

Feeling the urge to hit Ron upside the head, Harry said sternly. "Listen. Hermione is the girl's bathroom. She doesn't know about the troll. It'll kill her."

For a second, Harry thought Ron was going to leave him to find Hermione on his own, but he just sighed.

"Okay, but we better not let Percy catch us or my mother will hear about this."

-~-~-

"Harry… I think we better head back."

Ron looked scared as they walked down the corridor, searching for any sign of Hermione. Harry looked back at him. "We've come this far without getting caught and Hermione needs m…us."

Raising an eyebrow at Harry's almost slip, Ron nodded slowly. "Whatever you say, Harry."

But what the two boys didn't know that there was someone watching them from the shadows. It was no troll, but something far older than anything in magical Britain. It was a tall man with blond hair. His face was perfect, like it was carved from stone, with three red teardrops on his right cheek.

His blue eyes watched his prey walk down the corridor. He felt his fangs protrude for a taste of the young flesh before him. Wrapping his cloak around himself, he stepped out into the corridor and slowly approached the young boys.

"Hey kids, you shouldn't be out wondering around this late, it isn't safe."

Harry turned around at the sound of the voice and he cocked his head at the cloaked figure. It wasn't transparent, so he wasn't a ghost, but something about him set every fiber of Harry's being on high alert.

"What are you?"

The Daimon smiled in the dim light of the torches before he lifted his hood down, staring down at the two boys with hunger. He smiled wider than, showing his canine fangs.

"Your worst nightmare."

Harry and Ron both paled as they both took a step back. Harry quickly raised his wand, his hand shaking. Ron looked about ready to drop, his face almost white.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, trying to keep his fear from taking him over.

"Me? I'm just your friendly, neighborhood, bloodsucking, soul-eating Daimon, and what I want… is dinner." The Daimon said before taking another step towards them.

-~-~-~-

Sitting in the bathroom, Hermione, again for the millionth time, wiped her eyes. She felt betrayed, she felt angry, and she just wanted to hide forever. But she knew she had to face Harry and Ron anyway. She heard what Harry said to Ron and she was happy he said that about her, but the damage was already done.

But before she could think any further on that, her Dark-Hunter senses perked up. She felt the hair rise on the back of her neck. "There's that Daimon again." Hermione said to herself as she stood up. Her eyes widen because she felt it was close.

Quickly stepping out of the cubicle, she turned and quickly left the bathroom, running down the corridor as she went. She then heard, with the aid of her superior hearing, voices and rapid heartbeats, two of them. She turned the corner a few minutes later and she saw Harry and Ron. But what shocked her the most that there was a Spathian Daimon about to attack her friends.

She looked up at the ceiling, silently praying for heavenly help for what she was about to do. When she knew none was coming, she sighed as she thought. 'Damn it.'

She then shouted to the Daimon, in an authoritive tone. "Why don't you try picking on someone who can defend themselves?"

Harry and Ron stopped, and stared at one another, before staring past the strange man to Hermione.

"You know this creep?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head as she approached them. The Daimon turned to face her. "Not personally, but he's something you should never have the misfortune to encounter. They are low beyond low."

The Spathian Daimon hissed at her and cursed under his breath before he shouted at her.

"Stay out of this, Dark-Hunter!"

A cold, emotionless smile spread across Hermione's face. Closing her eyes, she mentally canceled the Glamour charm on her eyes, and then opened them again, her eye-brows knitting together into a scowl.

Her black eyes stared at the Daimon with malice as she heard Harry ask softly and curiously. "Hermione?"

Without even looking at him, she said to them both.

"Relax guys, this will be over soon."

"You're right, you will be over soon." The Daimon snarled, "I'm not your ordinary weak street-Daimon, Dark-Hunter, I'm a Spathian, born of Atlantis, you don't scare me."

"I don't plan to scare you. I plan to _kill_ you." Hermione answered in a tone that was cold and unfeeling and it made Harry shiver.

And with that, the Daimon attacked, rushing her and swinging a punch, Hermione managed to duck, and returned with an uppercut, that knocked him back towards Harry and Ron. Hermione shouted to them desperately.

"RUN!"

The Daimon came at her again, but Hermione was able to punch him back again. Pausing, she ripped off a piece of her left robe sleeve, and, remembering back to her classes, performed a quick transfiguration, turning the piece of fabric into a dagger.

The Daimon smirked. "Like that'll hurt me."

"Oh, it will." she replied, before raising her wand and saying quietly, "Petrificus Totalus."

The Daimon's eyes widened as his arms were forced down by his sides, and his legs were forced together. He was paralyzed. He couldn't even move his head. He wobbled for a few moments before falling backwards, blown by a very light breeze, and landing with a crunching thud on the floor.

Hermione casually walked over and knelt beside him, glaring down at him.

"How did you get in? Are there anymore of you in the building?"

The Daimon sneered, "Blow me."

Hermione scowled in disgust, "Hell no. You're not my type." she said, before she plunged the dagger into the Daimon's chest and he disintegrated in a cloud of gold dust.

She then stood and faced her two classmates, and mentally sighed.

Harry and Ron hadn't moved.

"I thought I told you two to run." she said, folding her arms, an impatient look on her face as she mentally re-cast the glamour charm and canceled the transfiguration spell on the dagger in her right hand.

"What the bloody hell _are_ you?!" Ron half screamed and half whimpered, he looked like he was about ready to wet himself. But before Hermione could say another word, she heard footsteps coming toward them.

She turned; ready to take down another Daimon when she saw if was Minerva, Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell. Minerva looked at the three of them as she asked them.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in your dormitories."

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Harry started to say. "Professor, we were just…"

"Looking for me."

The boys' heads turned at Hermione's voice. She continued as she stared at Minerva. "I went looking for the troll and as you can see I didn't find it, but if Harry and Ron hadn't found me, I probably would've died tonight."

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the obvious lie that Hermione told. She knew her friend never lied, but she knew something else was going on here. She was going to find out what.

"Well, you don't have to worry about a troll. Apparently it was false alarm on Professor Quirrell's part."

Glaring out of the corner of her eye at him, she added. "Now, you three better head back to the tower before I'm forced take any points away from my own house."

The trio nodded before they started to walk away. It wasn't until they were clear out of earshot that Hermione turned to look at Harry and Ron.

"Look, I know I got explaining to do…"

Ron interrupted her. "Yes you do! I _**knew**_ there was something different about you! And this proves it! I-"

"Ron, let her speak. I would also like to know what's going on."

Harry interrupted Ron as he then looked at Hermione. Hermione bit her bottom lip as she said quietly. "Not here. I'll explain everything in the common room."

-~-~-~-

When they arrived back at the common room, Hermione spent the next hour explaining what she was. She was standing in front of the fireplace, facing Harry and Ron, who were sitting on the couch in front of her.

"So…you're a vampire?"

Hermione growled at Ron as he asked for the hundredth time if she was a vampire. "No Ron, I'm not a vampire. More of a vampire slayer."

"But you have fangs and you're immortal. Sounds like a vampire to me."

"Grrr…"

Getting tired of their bickering, Harry said. "Ron, shut up. Hermione is not a vampire."

Hermione looked grateful at Harry before he asked his own question. "Well, you've explained what you are, but you haven't told us _how _you came to be what you are."

Feeling her blood run cold at the thought, Hermione felt flashbacks start to run in her mind like a silent movie. Seeing over and over again, Tom killing her as she laid helplessly on the ground, hearing his cold words throw at her like garbage.

Closing her eyes, Hermione felt tears form and she turned around then. She didn't want to cry in front of them. She already cried enough tonight. She then felt a hand on her shoulder and she opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Harry.

"I'm sorry I asked. You don't have to tell us until you're ready."

Smiling again in gratitude, Hermione said. "Thank you, Harry." They were both staring into each other's eyes that they didn't notice anyone else around until Ron cleared his throat.

They both looked at him and he was looking smug at the sight of them. He said. "Well, since you've explained everything, I guess we should call it a night, eh? Harry has got a Quidditch game in the morning."

Hermione gasped. "Oh my gods, that's right! Good night!"

Without saying another word, Hermione ran up the girls' staircase, leaving Harry and Ron to look at each other. Ron said. "She's weird, but strangely I like her."

Harry laughed. "You say that now?"

"Yeah, if she's willing to lie to a teacher to save our arses, then she's not so bad in my eyes."

Rolling his own eyes, Harry said. "So you consider her a friend now?" Ron shrugged. "I guess so."

Shaking his head, Harry started to walk up the boys' staircase, still thinking about what Hermione told them tonight. Many questions still plagued Harry as he climbed into bed.

How old was Hermione exactly? Why did she come to Hogwarts? But the most important question of all was: What was she hiding about her past?

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to leave a review. Thank you.**


	5. Author's Note

**A note to all following this fanfiction.**

**I hoped I would never have to do this, but I'm afraid I must Abandon this fic, since, due to recent personal events, and mistakes I've made in relation to those events, I am now, no longer co-writing with MysticGoth, and I cannot continue writing this story by myself, more-over, I seem to have lost the 'drive' for writing fanfiction, but not reading, my first fanfiction, Teen Titans SG-1, will remain 'in-progress', but is still on hiatus until further notice. The lack of response to the update i posted to that story hasn't helped my writing 'drive' much either.**

**So, to those who are/were following this story, I'm sorry to say, that it will not continue, at least, not right now. I may come back to it in the future, I will just have to wait and see if I get my 'mojo' back.**


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